Pokémon Hidden Leaf
by TheForgetfulOne
Summary: A chance find brings about a whole new world of fun and chaos for not only Konoha, but the whole shinobi world. Canon divergent, AU.
1. The Discovery

**I've always wanted to make a crossover fanfiction and this one has been on my list for a long time now. So here's my first go at writing something like this.**

 **A couple of things first. I am fully aware of how certain events go in the Naruto manga but for this story things are going to be quite different from how things would have gone. Divergence all around!**

 **Second, consider this a sort of fix-it/AU story, because I know many of us wish for many of the characters to have better fates. Save them.**

 **Just to be safe, I'm rating the story as T because I'm not quite sure how violent things will get.**

 **As an added warning, the characters may be a bit OOC.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Pokémon, they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Discovery

Rain showered down on to the forest canopy. Skies clouded in dark grey and a heavy, musty scent heralding the coming autumn downpours.

Whereas most would be indoors, warm and dry from the miserable weather, one did not have that luxury. A small body dashed through the maze of bark, desperately attempting to find shelter.

This was Naruto Uzumaki. Blond, short hair drooping from being wet, clothes soggy and uncomfortable, and usually sun-kissed skin pale from the cold. The small child, no older than four, was stuck outside and hopelessly lost. While familiar with the woodland surrounding his village, it was still unexplored by him in many areas.

Shivering, teeth clacking, he continued to run, only pausing momentarily under the branches to catch his breath.

The grown-ups at that building locked him out again. He went out to explore for a while, unsupervised but that was the norm, for him at least. Naruto wanted to get away from the other kids. Especially the older ones.

The names. The insults. Each one stung, delivered with such cold eyes. The grown-ups were no better.

And when he came back he found that the door had been shut tight. Sometimes he'd try to get in through the open windows but this time they were locked too. When the first drops fell, he knocked on the door over and over. But no one answered. He called to the other side as it began to shower.

" _Hey, let me in!"_

" _It's raining!"_

Frantic knocks joined the pleading.

" _Let me in! I'm cold!"_

" _Please!"_

" _Please… Let me in..."_

It all went ignored. Cold and upset, he ran. To anywhere but there.

Through the rain, past the trees ahead, Naruto spotted a house not too far away. Relieved to have some shelter, he weaved through the trees and dove for the open, worm-eaten doorway.

A shuddering exhale filled the air.

The boy looked around. It was dark, only more so further in, the place was almost as rotted inside as it was out. Cobwebs covered the corners and support beams. Hardly decorated, the only indication of it being lived in were the old dusty table off to the side and filthy crockery that sat atop the table and on the floor.

It wasn't the best but it was better than nothing. If he was lucky there might be some old sheets somewhere he could wrap himself in. A whoosh of frigid wind blew in through the entry with the missing door, spraying flecks of rain inside.

He shuffled deeper into the abandoned place, hands rubbing up and down his arms to try and fester heat, to no avail. The floorboards protested at being walked on, each one groaning with strain. On one step, there was a crack and the plank gave way. Yelping, he wobbled off-balance before catching himself on his hands, taking back his leg and glancing down at the newly made gap.

Naruto would have carried on had something not caught his eye. Even in the low light, something seemed to stand out in the dark. Something reflective.

As children usually are when intrigued by new things, he wanted to know about it. Getting on his knees, a small hand reached in and gripped the object, pulling at it revealed that whatever it was it was big and seemed to be made of some kind of plastic or metal.

Determined, he tore away both halves of the broken plank and carefully placed them down. While moving his limbs knocked against the rest of the floor, the surrounding pieces lifting and wobbling with ease.

A secret compartment.

Two more whole bits of wood came up and joined the small pile.

The case was a cylinder of vibrant red with a thin, black band indented around each end, two black rings etched on to the front, a smaller one surrounded by the larger.

Curiously, he reached for the object with both hands and pulled. It took some effort as he found out it was a lot heavier than he anticipated, heaving the red, shiny thing out.

"What is this thing?" He asked himself, puzzled. Something had to be inside of it, but what? Fuelled by wonder and curiosity he tried prying the thing open, it taking a few tries before pushing the button on the front.

 _Click!_

The lid covering the main body of the container flipped open to reveal a large scroll. Piqued even more, he took the edge of the paper and pulled, unravelling a portion. Scanning its contents, he saw an odd symbol; a black circle with a smaller one in the centre, a line running horizontally through from one edge to the other. Veering to the left, writing filled the page.

The boy began reading, the other children at the orphanage get to learn how to read and write, but he didn't. At least when Jii-san wasn't around. He'd be visited by the old man in the funny hat once, twice, maybe three times a month.

Naruto liked Jii-san. Unlike everyone else, he always treated him nicely. Never once calling him things like 'monster' or 'demon'. One time he told the old man what the people at the orphanage called him and he got very mad. Then afterward, the adults stopped with names. It did not stop the mean looks he was sent. It didn't stop the kids from hissing at him behind his back.

 _'To whomever finds this scroll, I entrust to you the knowledge it contains. In all my years of travelling, the most fascinating discovery that I made were these strange creatures called "Pokémon".'_

Naruto owlishly blinked and parroted this strange word curiously before going back to reading.

 _'These 'Pokémon' are wondrous, mystical creatures that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some resemble animals, others plants and even inanimate objects. Despite their apparent lack of chakra they are capable of incredible feats and harnessing the power of the elements themselves. Humans are even able to capture and use these creatures for battle much like summons, sometimes these battles are for sport so they can practice their techniques, but sometimes they are simply kept as pets._

 _'Of all the information that I have gathered on these creatures, the most distinct thing about Pokémon are the bonds they forge with their human companions or 'Trainers', forming strong friendships and undying loyalty that can last for life.'_

If what he was reading was true then these creatures could be a person's friends forever. "Friends..." A smile stretched across his face at the idea, becoming more eager to see one of these things.

 _'Before you attempt to summon one of these monsters, you must remember this crucial bit of information. Pokémon are very intelligent, they can think for themselves, understand humans and have emotions, just like us. Treat them with respect and affection and they'll do so to you in return. Never disrespect or abuse them, or else you shall suffer dire consequences._

 _'And please... Don't let these lives fall into the wrong hands, for I fear the world will be at stake if a dangerous shinobi got a hold of them._

 _\- Yours faithfully, Shisha'_

Processing everything, Naruto immediately came to a conclusion.

" _This must be a ninja scroll!"_ Once or twice he's seen some shinobi walking around with scrolls bigger than he strapped to their backs. Always curious as to what techniques could be inside but never knowing what. Now he had one all to himself, and perhaps he could end being an awesome ninja with it.

Many children wanted to be ninjas in this village, and he was no different.

Before he could go any further, a glow from the corner of his eye ripped his attention away. Gazing down with wide, confused eyes.

The symbol on the scroll shone, brighter and brighter until exploding into a cloud of smoke, a strange popping noise accompanying it. With a shocked yell, Naruto jumped back, tripping over his feet and falling on his bottom.

"Are you the one who has called me here?" A low yet gentle male voice asked. The young blond looked around the dusty room, he heard someone speak but where did it come from?

"Who's there?" He called out nervously.

"I'm in front of you, little one." A voice answered. It came from the smoke that was now thinning out. A large golden beast sat facing him, narrow snout, and a large tuft of hair atop its head, ruby eyes holding his gaze. Though cautious, he could not help but stare. It was a very pretty animal.

"You talk?"

"Indeed I do." The child could hear it speak but its mouth never moved. So how was it– Naruto's blue eyes caught something. Its tail, there was more than one. Knowing only how to count to ten, he started counting the long ropes of fur.

 _"One, two, three, four, five, six, uhh… seven, eight, nine."_ He felt cold inside. Nine?! The monster that attacked his village was said to have nine tails. This had to be the one!

"Agh! Demon!" Naruto yelled, crawling backwards until his back hit the rotted wall. The beast's red eyes widened before turning into a frown, narrow snout creasing with distaste.

"Hmph! How rude! I am most certainly not a demon, young man!" He huffed, affronted by the insult.

"B-But you have nine tails!" The toddler stammered.

"Well, I am clearly a Ninetales." Came a matter-of-factly yet confused response.

"You attacked my village!"

"I did not. I don't even know where I am, and I would never hurt a human, especially not a child." Insisted the fox tilting its head, never moving from his spot on the floor.

"Y... Y-You don't know where you are?"

"No." Unsure of how to respond, he asked another question.

"…And you won't hurt me?" Voice small, nervous and wary.

"Of course not," the other's voice calm, soothing, "Whom, may I ask, are you?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. S-Sorry for calling you a demon." The blond apologised, feeling a bit calmer from the talking animal's promise of not hurting him. Crawling away from the wall and sat on his knees before the large animal. "So… you're not the Kyuubi?"

"No, although I suppose I do look like this creature you talk about. I believe you call it a 'kitsune'?" He said, looking up in recollection. The golden fox scanned the old, worn interior, nose twitching. For a while there was a pregnant pause before, "Where is Shisha?"

That was the name in the message.

"You mean the guy from the scroll? I don't know." Pointing at the item with a finger.

The Ninetales finally took notice of the scroll he was sitting on, padding off of it to take a better look. Red eyes glazed over as he scanned the kanji and hiragana, ears slowly pinning back. A soft mix between a grumble and a whine rasped out of the animal. Naruto got the feeling that something was wrong with Ninetales.

"Are you okay?" He questioned. It took a moment before,

"Yes, little one. I'm fine." Ninetales answered with a strange tone the boy could not identify, never once looking up. "Well, seeing as you found this scroll, it now belongs to you." He announced.

"Does that mean we're friends?" Naruto queried hesitantly. Despite what the scroll said, he was still unsure. Lifting his head, the fox blinked at the small boy before replying softly, eyes crinkling with a gleam,

"If that is what you wish."

Elation swelled within the blond, a wide grin breaking out on his marked cheeks. He had a friend! He felt like running around in joy, in fact, he was bouncing from where he sat. Then a thought popped into his head.

"Hey, what's your name?" Asked Naruto.

"… Shisha called me Hikaru."

"Nice to meet… a… a-Achoo!" He sneezed, the shivers came back as the wind once again filled the house. Red eyes darted to the door,

"Have you been out in the rain? Shouldn't you be at home?" After inquiring, the smile on his little face faded.

"I… I don't have one." Naruto admitted quietly.

"Where are your parents?"

"I don't have any." He answered, curling into a ball from both the cold and the longing squirming in his chest. The rain was still going strong, it seemed to only increase as the rushing sound grew. A form wrapped around his small self. Snapping his head up, he found the Ninetales had decided to lay down beside him, many tails draping themselves over him. A little startled, he quickly disregarded it in favour of slumping at the heat exuding from the animal's silky fur.

"Isn't there anyone else to take care of you?" No more shivers.

"He doesn't take care of me but there's Jii-san. He comes by the orphanage to check on me sometimes." No response. Hikaru quietly hummed as he took in the information, casting a glance to the open doorway to the forest.

"Why don't you stay here? At least until the rain stops." Suggested the vulpine Pokémon. Colour returned to his face in a light flush. Staring into his ruby eyes for a moment, Naruto nodded as the exhaustion finally caught up with him, the warmth seeping in making him drowsy.

Yeah, that sounded good. Maybe he'd go tell Jii-san about Hikaru. A glimmer of excitement sprouted within, he couldn't wait to tell him about his new friend and the scroll that brought him here.

Sapphires hid under heavy eyelids as the rain now lulled him to sleep.

* * *

 **Fire types can double as walking, living heaters.**

 **So what did you all think? Hope this was a decent chapter for all of you, I want to make this more fun and light-hearted. I've decided to have this story dedicated to early childhood misadventures.**

 ** **I was unsure whether to have Naruto refer to Sarutobi as 'Jii-san', 'Gramps' or 'Old man'. Still unsure, honestly. Which one do you think would be best?****

 **Seeing what the date today is... Happy birthday, Naruto!**


	2. Ninetales or Nine-Tails?

**I am so happy that people are enjoying this story even if it's only one chapter so far, and I appreciate your inputs. It's been a long time since I've read/watched Naruto, or took a gander at the Japanese language so I wasn't too sure about what to use. I mean, I knew that 'jii-san' can mean grandfather or old man, I just wasn't sure how it'd be used in context to the characters I guess.**

 **So thank you, Tireless Overseer, Eevee99, and Eric (Guest) for letting me know your opinions.**

 **Now let's get on with it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except OCs.**

* * *

2: Ninetales or Nine-Tails?

The rain stopped after two hours, leaving only the lingering earthy scent. At which, not five minutes after realising the calm, Hikaru nudged Naruto awake from his nap. Nose pressing insistently into his shoulder.

"Naruto, wake up. The rain has stopped." The child grumbled as his face scrunched up, displeased with being disturbed. Blinking blearily, he rubbed at his eyes with balled fists and sat up.

For a moment Naruto blanked out on where he was, upon seeing the large golden-white animal it all came rushing back. The rain, the house, the scroll, becoming friends with a talking not-demon-fox. At first he thought it might've been a dream, but the fact that it was still here proved otherwise.

"Hey, Hikaru." Naruto greeted sleepily.

"Did you enjoy your nap?"

"Mhmm." The blond hummed as he stood.

"Well the rain's stopped, so you can go back to the orphanage now." A grimace marred his expression. This did not go unnoticed. "Is something wrong?"

"Do I have to go back?" Naruto almost whined.

"Is there a reason why you don't want to?" Responded the fox with a question of his own. The grimace morphed into a frown.

"I don't like it there,"

"Why?"

"Everybody's mean to me, they call me things like 'monster' and other bad names." Though silently shocked to hear this, Hikaru's eyes narrowed as a curiosity rose up.

"Why do they call you bad names?"

"I don't know." Whispers the boy, a fleeting flash of something in his eyes. As much as he wanted to press the child for more answers, Hikaru decided against it. Best not to upset the little one.

"Hmm… then why don't you go to, what was his name, Jii-san? Maybe you could stay with him for a while." He suggested. Looking up, blue eyes brightened considerably and with a nod he said,

"I was gonna go find him anyway so I can tell him about you." After a moment of silence, Hikaru's low voice cautiously rang in his head,

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

What did he mean by that? Of course it was a good idea! The old man was nice so he was sure that he'd like Hikaru too.

" _Maybe he's just nervous about new people."_ The boy deduced simply. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Sure it is!" the boy confidently assured. "Don't worry, the old man won't hurt you, because you're my friend. Wait here, I'll go get him!" With that, Naruto ran out of the house to find said old man.

Well, he would have if he remembered exactly where in the forest he was. Stopping a few feet away, his head turned this way that, trying to figure out where to go.

Hikaru followed him out,

"Don't you remember the way you came?" Hikaru asked. A shake of the head was his answer. Letting out a small sigh, the fox spoke, "Never mind. I can help you through the forest until you see anything that looks familiar. Would you be okay with that?" A nod.

So boy and fox exited the decrepit house and wandered through the trees, intent on finding civilisation quickly. It only took around five minutes before they reached recognisable territory. Not a lot of words were exchanged during the trip, just the occasional 'Does this look familiar yet?' 'Nope'.

For Naruto, it was actually nice to not be alone in the woods for once.

The scours and carvings on certain trees helped guide them back as the blond recognised them when he would go exploring. Upon spotting some buildings beyond the treeline, they stopped.

"Are you sure you will be alright on your own?"

"Yeah." He made to run but froze momentarily. An unwelcome thought popping in his head. Turning back to Hikaru, Naruto uttered softly, "You won't go away, will you?"

"I need to go find something to eat, but I'll still be at the house when you come back." With that reassurance, the child sped off.

Through the streets he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, for once not paying any attention to the people who sneered and glared, quickly finding the building where the old man normally was. Barging through the doors, he kept his sprint, ignoring the shocked yell of the receptionist and weaving around others who happened to cross his path.

Reaching the doors he was looking for, he yanked down the handle and dove in.

"Jii-san! Jii-san! Guess what!"

"Naruto, it's rude to barge in without knocking, calm down. Shut the door, please." There was a firm slam and a click. Sparing a glance at the child, he asked, "What is it?"

"I made a friend!" He exclaimed, excitement palpable. Hiruzen blinked before a smile graced his face. No wonder the boy was so happy. Normally parents would never let their children anywhere near him or tell them to ignore him, but it seems that at least someone was giving him a chance. That in itself was wonderful.

"What is their name?" Returning to his writing, still listening intently,

"His name's Hikaru, he's a Ninetales!" Chirped Naruto. Sarutobi's hand jolted, leaving a long, crooked line down the page from the kanji he had halfway written. Did his ears deceive him? Because he thought Naruto just said he was friends with the Tailed Beast.

Looking up from his ruined document, he was met with the small child still standing there positively beaming.

"What did you say he was?"

"A Ninetales!"

"…"

"…"

"What exactly does it look like?"

"He's a fox. He's this big," Naruto tiptoed and stretched so his hand was level to about foot or so taller than himself, "and has red eyes, and pretty gold fur, and nine tails."

Hiruzen let this information sink in. It did sound similar to the demon that attacked Konoha four years ago. Well, the fact that it was a fox, had nine tails and red eyes. But what Naruto described was much too small, and nobody would ever describe that beast as _pretty_ , of all things.

Could the beast's chakra had manifested itself in some way as an illusion? To trick him in some way? The old man shook his head. No. He knew, and was confident that the seal sealing the Kyuubi away was still as strong as it when it was placed. It was the Fourth who locked it away, after all. Still, he could not take this lightly.

"That certainly is quite a friend you've made. Would it be alright if I met Hikaru, Naruto?"

"Okay, he's in the woods! Come on!" As the veteran shinobi rose from his seat to follow, the blond couldn't open the door fast enough and bolted out of the room. Bouncing on his feet and urging for the elderly man to hurry up.

As he was led out by the young boy, a voice in the back of Hiruzen's head told him he should have brought his pipe with him. Wasn't sure why, surely this was going to be a simple meet-and-greet and wouldn't be too stressful.

Right?

* * *

The Hokage was led through the woods by the lively, little blond who babbled on and on about the creature that called itself a 'Pokémon'. Blissfully unaware of the tension, and cluelessness, of his village leader.

" _What on earth is a 'Pokémon'?"_ He wondered. The elderly man was becoming a little sceptical about this. Part of his brain trying to rationalise and convince that maybe this was just a case of a child's imagination. An imaginary friend. After momentarily getting lost, the old, wooden house was soon found.

"Hikaru, I'm back!" Called Naruto as he plodded into the old shack with the Hokage close behind. Scepticism gave way to wariness. The boy glanced around before going through a doorway to his left, having a few words with someone, then almost immediately returning with a massive toothy grin. Soft tapping followed.

Hiruzen wore an expression of disbelief, eyes wide as a slender canine animal calmly walked in, floorboards creaking lightly under its weight, red eyes never leaving the old man as it sat beside the boy, practically dwarfing Naruto. Nine long tails curling around its feet. The boy wasn't exaggerating, it was beautiful.

However, that was no excuse to let one's guard down.

Fingers twitched minutely as he felt the instinct to reach for a kunai from within his robes. Yet he reined the feeling in. Best to stay calm for the moment. Instead, glaring at the beast analytically, with it doing the same.

Oblivious, Naruto introduced,

"This is Hikaru. Hikaru, that's Jii-san."

"Nice to meet you, Jii-san." Spoke the fox. Like Naruto was, Hiruzen was caught off-guard by its mouth not moving despite speaking. Uncertainly, he responded,

"My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. And nice to meet you too…"

"If you don't mind me asking, Sarutobi, where am I exactly? Neither this house nor this forest look familiar to me." Inquired Hikaru, not breaking eye contact with the man.

"You're in Konohagakure, a hidden village."

"Konohagakure… That name sort of rings a bell."

"Perhaps you've been here before?"

"No… but my former Trainer might have mentioned it at some time." The fox's tone sounded unsure, his face scrunching in an attempt to remember, three of its tails twitching slightly. Which Hiruzen had locked on to. The Ninetales seemed to notice this. "Are you alright, sir? You seem on edge." Hikaru noted with a tilt of the head.

"I'm fine. You just remind me of something." He answered vaguely.

"The Kyuubi?" Hiruzen raised a white eyebrow as his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You know of it?"

"Naruto mentioned it when he first saw me, as well as it was some sort of demon and it attacked his village." Hikaru elaborated. A fleeting glance was thrown at the child, who busied himself in stroking the fur on the animal's back and shoulders, before saying in a serious tone.

"That is true. It happened four years ago but the memories are still fresh, many lives were lost in defeating it." Pointed ears twitched.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Those who were lost died a noble, shinobi death, we can only move on now." Sarutobi's voice was level yet toned with palpable sadness. "The Kyuubi was dealt with that night, and will not be coming back."

"If I may ask, what did this Kyuubi look like?"

"Much like you but only with the red eyes and tails. You don't have orange fur and you're nowhere near as big as it was."

"It sounds like a mutant Ninetales to me. But the fact remains, I look similar to it and I take it that's not a good thing?" Sarutobi had to admit, the creature caught on quick. He gave a solemn nod.

The talking Ninetales bowed its head for a moment as it fidgeted. One tail separated itself from the others and swished before blending back in. Hiruzen swore the appendage had a slight blue glow for a moment.

"AAH! Who are you!?" Naruto yelled surprised. At the outburst, Hiruzen darted his eyes up, tensing.

Behind the fox stood a man about a head taller than Hiruzen. Light blond hair just past his shoulders neatly tied into a low ponytail, maroon eyes that held amusement coupled with lips quirked up at the corners. Pale skin hidden by a simple red kimono and hakama tied at the waist by a gold obi, the fabric of a white nagajuban peeking out of the collar, white socks and a pair of zori covering his feet.

"It's me, Hikaru." The man replied before turning his attention to the village leader. "I thought that it might make you more comfortable if you were talking to a human, so I created this." The actual animal gestured its head towards the man as said person used his hands to gesture to himself. "Is this better?"

Naruto reached out to feel the soft-looking silk, only for his hand to go right through. Bamboozled, he tried with his other hand. Same result.

. . . .

Now he was wishing he had his pipe on him, because he was in need of a good, long smoke after this.

While this creature had not displayed any type of ninjutsu, the fact that it could perform genjutsu was enough to heighten his caution. Yet at the same time, the action was rather… considerate.

"It's not really necessary but thank you for your consideration." A flick of a tail and the human faded away. "Now, I have some questions for you."

"Then ask."

"Where did you come from?"

"My world."

"I meant how did you get here?"

"I was summoned."

"By whom?" Hikaru gestured his muzzle to the as of now calm blond who was busy petting the fur on his back. The calm expression on Hiruzen's face cracked with shock as he regarded the boy for a moment. Curious, he furrowed his brow and followed up with, "How?"

"I found this scroll under the floor, and when I opened it – BOOM! Hikaru popped out!" Naruto piped up with a grin.

" _Hmm… strange. Normally one needs to apply chakra, and sometimes blood in order to summon something. Yet that didn't seem to happen here."_ Noted the ninja as he thought over their answers. He could have asked to see the scroll but another question was at the forefront.

He moved on.

"What is a 'Pokémon'? Naruto claimed that you are such a creature."

Red eyes squinted, the corner of his mouth seemed to quirk up.

"To put it simply, Pokémon are, well, monsters." Hikaru started in a matter-of-fact tone, "We come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and types, and are capable of many things. We can live virtually anywhere, whether it's the land, the sea, or the sky. There are also many, many different species. My species, for instance, are called Ninetales."

Both males took in the information, each having a different reaction. One being surprised pondering and cautious disbelief, and the other with renewed fascination.

"So creating illusions is one of your abilities?"

"In a way, although Abilities are something else entirely. Casting illusions is just one of the things my particular species can naturally do."

"What else are you capable of?"

"Well, I'm a Fire type, so I can do this." Hikaru tipped his head back, opened his mouth as if to howl, only for a ball of fire to spew forth. Naruto and the Hokage jumped back astonished and taken aback. Hiruzen reached into his robe, gripping a kunai hidden inside a pouch that hung around his waist. Again, instinct was warning him of the danger, but something told him to wait. Lasting for two seconds, the flame snuffed itself out. Everyone went quiet as the fox directed its gaze back at them.

Naruto was the first one to get over the shock.

"Woah! You can breathe fire? That's so cool!" Naruto gushed excitedly, turning to the old shinobi, "Old man, did you see that?! He can shoot fire!"

"Yes, I did, Naruto." Hiruzen answered in a bit of a daze. Fingers still tightly pressed on the handle of the weapon. The blond returned to Hikaru's side and began begging him to do another fireball, which he did, and in turn the child crowed in delight.

Slowly, carefully, he relinquished his hold and watched the two of them. A puff of air passed through his nose.

This only made things more complicated. It was already concerning that the vulpine had nine tails, which if anyone else in the village had seen would have surely caused hysteria, now it proved that could perform two of the three main forms of jutsu. With one of the more volatile elements.

Add in the fact that Naruto brought it here made it seem akin to a summoning animal. But a fox of all things?

"Hikaru-san, while you have been polite and I greatly appreciate you divulging this information about your kind, I'm afraid it would be dangerous if Naruto were with you."

Dangerous for both of them. More so for the four-year old.

"Huh? Why?" Queried Naruto, his mood starting to dampen. Why didn't the old man want Hikaru around him? Hikaru cocked his head in equal confusion.

"Naruto, this 'friend' of yours isn't an ordinary animal, he could hurt you."

" _The villagers could hurt you."_

"No he wouldn't, old man!" The child cried defensively, "Hikaru hasn't hurt me, and he said he never would, he's my friend!"

A sharp bark shot out of the animal's maw accompanied by a disapproving expression. The blond was startled for a moment as he locked eyes with the beast, he shifted on his feet, a small pout upon his face.

"Sarutobi, I understand your concern for him because of what I am, but I can promise you that I would never bring him harm." Hikaru said sincerely. Despite the genuineness in his tone, Hiruzen was still wary as he scanned over the creature with appraisal. After a few moments of silence, and letting out a sigh, the multi-tailed beast spoke again, "Seeing as you don't seem to trust me, I think it might be prudent if you met some of us so you can gain a change in perspective."

Curious, Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at him,

"What do you mean by that?"

"Why don't I show you how friendly we Pokémon can be?" Suggested the Ninetales. An unidentifiable feeling shot through Hiruzen from the gleam in the animal's crinkled eyes. Turning to his left, he asked, "Naruto, how would you like to receive your very own starter?"

* * *

 **Oooooh, someone's getting their first starter! :D**

 **I imagine that Hiruzen would be understandably wary of anything related to foxes after that horrible night.**

 **And the whole telepathy thing with Hikaru, I attribute that to his species' ghostly abilities as well as the fact Ninetales can learn some Psychic-type moves.**

 **One of the old episodes of Pokémon I remember watching when I was little was called 'Just Waiting on a Friend' which involved Ninetales and it stuck with me. Inspiring part of this chapter.**

 **Also, I have no sense of fashion so I apologise if the clothes for Hikaru's illusion of his "human self" is tacky, garish or a bit try-hardy. I really did try to do my research on Japanese fashion and terminology to add some authenticity. I was actually thinking of having plum blossoms printed on the kimono but I wasn't sure if that'd be considered too girly.**

 **See you in the next chapter.**


	3. For Starters

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, Naruto and Pokémon belong to their respective creators. I only own OCs.**

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03: For Starters

Naruto blinked confused at the Ninetales.

"What's a starter?"

"A starter is a Pokémon that is given to a child once they are old enough to go on their own journey." Explained Hikaru.

"What sort of journey?" Asked Hiruzen, curious himself.

"To go out on their own and travel their home region. Discover new places, meet new people, and learn about themselves and their Pokémon. Many decide to explore the whole world."

"And what age do they normally receive their first Pokémon?"

"It depends, though, from what I remember, the usual age is 10 years old."

" _Ah, so receiving one of these creatures and leaving home was akin to a sort of coming-of-age event, to widen their horizon."_ The old man thought. He was not entirely shocked by how young the children from this other world were when they left home unaccompanied. It was quite common here for shinobi children, especially if they showed higher than expected talent. Some graduating and leaving the village at even earlier ages. Several clans within the Leaf came to mind.

While the prospect did sound exciting, it did not sit well with the Hokage. Naruto was far too young for that, he was not even enrolled into the Academy yet. Naïve, defenceless, and untrained, the boy wouldn't stand a chance out there even with these monsters accompanying him. Then of course, there was the beast sealed inside of him. Allowing him outside the safety of the village walls was a definite no.

His face crinkled into a grimace at the thought, but before he could express his concerns, Hikaru continued.

"However," giving a pointed look to the wide-eyed child. "you, young man, are far too young to be going on any journey." Naruto deflated with disappointment. "But… that doesn't mean you can't have a Pokémon of your own as a little playmate."

"Really?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"If it's alright with Sarutobi."

Dark eyes shifted from the fox to the tiny– _too tiny_ , blond. Said person was gazing up at him with hopeful eyes.

"As long as it doesn't harm him." Came the answer, and the boy punched the air with a victorious 'Yes!'

"Sir, I guarantee you, the ones I'll be bringing here will be of no threat to the little one." Hikaru said easily over his shoulder as he glided out of the room for a moment and returned with a red cylindrical container held aloft by his tails. He set it down.

"How come you brought the scroll out, Hikaru?" Naruto queried.

"If I'm to give you a Pokémon of your own then I need to return to my home region to get them." The smile on Naruto's face dropped somewhat. "If this thing brought me here then it should send me back."

"You're leaving?" A part of him still whispered that his new friend might not come back. "You'll come back, right?" Small hands fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

"Of course I will. Why would I leave a friend?" Replied Hikaru with a tilt of the head. "… Now, how exactly do I go back?"

"You don't know how to?" The multi-tailed creature shook his head. "Hmm… did you feel anything when you were summoned?"

"Yes, I felt some kind of force tugging at me and then I ended up here." Ruby eyes looked up, "Do you know how I can go back? You seem to have some knowledge on this."

"In order to summon something, we need to apply chakra and blood to a seal. That contribution allows for instantaneous travel from one place to another, a sort of bridge connecting two locations." Hiruzen explained as simply as possible.

"And what is chakra exactly?"

"Chakra is, in essence, the energy that courses through all living things. Most don't utilise it the way others like myself do, but with physical and mental training, and experience, it can be cultivated for more useful purposes."

"Energy. . . interesting." Hummed the nine-tailed beast. "So how do I use that for this?"

"You have to focus on where you want this energy to go and direct it there."

"I see…" Hikaru replied laced with a dash of uncertainty. "Well, I'm not sure if I have chakra but I think I can use something akin to it. There's no harm in trying, right?" Sitting in front of the scroll, he placed his front paws on to the black sigil. Casting a glance behind him, he assured, "I'll be back as soon as I can." Locking on to the glyph, he shut his eyes and focused.

A flicker of energy sparked within the fox. Similar to chakra yet at the same time different. Two tails unfurled from the other seven, shimmering a soft blue. The same light swelled under his paws, creeping into the circular insignia. Its lines glowed as Hikaru felt the same force tugging at him. Stronger and stronger.

There was a brief explosion of white, and in the blink of an eye, Hikaru vanished.

Once the smoke had cleared, it was quiet for a moment before a muffled noise of giddiness replaced the silence, followed by tapping on wood by small feet. Naruto spun around with an ear-splitting smile.

"I'm getting a Pokémon! Jii-san, I'm getting a Pokémon!" He almost sang, practically radiating exhilaration. Though still apprehensive about the whole thing, Hiruzen could not help but smile at the orphan. He's never seen the boy this happy before in his short life so far.

Still, these animals… monsters, whatever they were, could potentially pose a danger. The cautious, logical part of his mind warned. His smile lessened a little. If Hikaru proved that he could utilise natures and genjutsu, then surely other Pokémon can too. Meaning they must be fully capable of fighting. His sight caught the scroll and its case still on the ground. Quickly stealing a glance up, the boy was still in an obliviously cheery state, he approached the item to hopefully gain some more answers. Despite what the golden beast had told him, he wanted to know if there was anything left unsaid. Better to check other sources than blindly accepting what only one says.

Kneeling and folding his legs under himself, briefly gauging the rather simple symbol, which he thought looked like a ball of some sort, he began reading the missive at the beginning. As he read on, it seemed that Hikaru was telling the truth albeit very shortened and summarised, while the author of this scroll gave a much more in-depth description of these creatures.

Placing a hand on the case to steady it, he intended to find more information the scroll might have continued, only to pause and frown. Throwing a look at the red object. Something buzzed under his fingertips. Very briefly, but he felt it.

Before he could begin to ponder on the cause, a voice piped up,

"What're you doing?"

"I was curious about this scroll so I was just reading this message. Where exactly did you find it?"

"In here." Said the child pointing to the hole in the floor. Sarutobi examined the gap from his spot, lightly humming in thought. Who on earth would just leave a summoning contract in a hiding place like that? Yes, it's inconspicuous but there was still a chance that anyone could have stumbled upon it. There didn't even seem to be any booby-traps placed to give even a little extra protection. Hiruzen thought whoever this Shisha person was must have been careless. "How long do you think it'll take Hikaru to come back?"

"I'm not sure, but we'll just have to be patient until then." Hiruzen answered.

So they waited and waited, sunbeams peeking through open doorway of the old house casting a soft orange glow. Sundown was arriving. To help stave off the inevitable boredom, the Hokage had been asking Naruto how he was doing at the orphanage. Rolling his shoulders, Naruto's eyes lost some of their shine as he listed the usual stuff; people ignored him, other kids wouldn't play with him, going out on his own, name calling. Nothing new. Hiruzen sighed quietly, almost exasperated. Clearly he had underestimated his people's ability to hold a grudge, stupid as it was.

Speaking of going out on his own,

"How did you find this place, Naruto?"

"I was trying to get out of the rain." He answered simply. Lifting an eyebrow slightly, the veteran inquired,

"Why didn't you go back to the orphanage?"

"I did but they wouldn't let me in! The doors and windows didn't open, I even tried knocking and yelling but they didn't hear me!" The blue-eyed child exclaimed with a hurt frown. While his face portrayed calm, Sarutobi clenched his teeth hard. Seething inside. So he was locked out. Looks like he was going to have to have another talk with the caretakers.

 _Pop!_

The two darted to the source.

Up burst a cloud of white smoke, quickly fading to reveal the talking Ninetales sitting on the scroll, panting. But Hikaru wasn't alone. A trio of new creatures stood lined up before him. Three pairs of big eyes glanced around the new space curiously, with another two awing at them in wonder and surprise.

"Sorry I took so long, I had to travel quite a bit to find them. I did not want to steal any Pokémon from a professor." Hikaru apologised once his breathing calmed.

The animals caught sight of the humans, looking to each other and then to Hikaru, backing up and talking to him in a strange tongue. The fox answered back in similar non-human vocals. Whatever he said to them made them seem less confused.

"These are the starters of my region," He introduced, pointing his snout at each one.

First up was a bluish-green frog… dinosaur? With darker blue patches on its head, legs, and sides, claws on all of its toes, small triangular ears, and big red eyes with white pupils, and… was that a plant on its back? "Bulbasaur,"

The second was an orange lizard that stood on two legs with large blue eyes. Two small fangs poking out of its smiling mouth, four little fingers on each hand, three claws on both feet and a flame on the end of its tail. "Charmander,"

Finally, the last was a light blue turtle that also stood upright. Shiny brown eyes, a hooked mouth fixed into a grin, a sturdy brown shell with a white ridge along the edge, a pale yellow underbelly, and a large, curled tail. "and Squirtle. Now, you have to make a choice – which one do you want as your first Pokémon?"

He had to choose? This put him in a bit of a bind. They all looked cool in their own way, he couldn't possibly pick just one.

"Can't I have all three?" Naruto asked in a whiny tone.

"No, you can only choose one." A disappointed grumble answered back. Hiruzen observed silently, less wary and more curious at the new beasts.

After a few minutes of umm-ing and aah-ing, eyes dancing back and forth between each one, he came to a decision.

"I choose Bulbasaur!" Confidently he proclaimed. Said choice smiled joyously and approached the little boy. Naruto bent over to gently pat the creature on the head, noting how smooth Bulbasaur's skin was.

"Do you want to give him a nickname?" Asked Hikaru.

"I can name him?"

"If you want to." A grin threatened to split his face.

"I think I'll call him…" Naruto trailed off as he analysed the plant-frog-dinosaur thing. He hummed as he bounced possible names around his noggin. It had to be something cool and tough sounding. His blue eyes drifted up to the huge plant on its back. Kind of reminded him of an onion.

. . . .

An idea pinged in his head. "I'll call you Tama!"

"Saur!" Rasped the newly named Pokémon, mouth widening a smidgen.

"My name's Naruto, I hope we can be good friends."

"Bul, ba saur, Bulbaba!" Tama said back with seemingly equal enthusiasm.

Beaming, the boy's grin only widened at his newest friend. A giggle escaped him as he continued to pet the strange little animal. While he was content to just sit and be in the company of these creatures, he also felt something bubbling within. An urge his own head whispered to him.

 _Go play._

It seemed someone else had the same idea too.

"Naruto, why don't you take Tama, Charmander and Squirtle outside and play?" Hikaru suggested. Blinking at the fox, he made to respond but paused. Excited grin faltering as he remembered the other person nearby. With pleading blue orbs, he turned silently to Hiruzen for permission. In a soft tone, the adult said,

"Go ahead, just make sure you can still see the house." With a grin, the blond nodded, gestured at the trio and made for the door, the three Pokémon right at his heels.

"He seems ecstatic." Hikaru commented after a moment of quiet, rising and sauntered over to the scroll container. "I know human children get excited over animals but I've never seen one so... enchanted." He rolled the paper back up and flicked the lid closed with the back of his paw. Wrapping a tail around the scroll, he carried it back to a room to stash away.

"You're not exactly normal animals so his reaction should be expected." He responded. "Besides, you and those other three seem to be his first friends." Some do say it is easier to befriend animals rather than people.

"That reminds me, Naruto told me that he isn't well-liked at the orphanage, why is that?" Asked the vulpine as he trotted back. For a few moments, Hiruzen did not answer. Debating in his head whether he should divulge that sort of information.

"That is a heavily guarded secret."

"Will you tell me?"

"Perhaps I will in time." Turning he walked towards the doorway, the miniature, golden kyuubi close behind. Both stopped to watch the group of four playing amongst the trees. Settling on his haunches, the fox spoke again.

"You still don't trust me?"

"What do you think?" With a soft huff, the Pokémon tilted his head up, mouth minutely curving up.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to prove myself to you then, whatever it takes."

Unknowing what to make of that expression, the old man broke eye contact.

Laughter carried through the woods, a small child weaving recklessly as he was chased by a trio of small, unusual critters. He ducked behind a tree trunk, the animals pausing before walking around only for Naruto to creep along with them. Peeking at them he began to sneak behind them, intent on surprising them.

"Char!" The fiery lizard had snuck up on him instead! With a yell he fell forward, tripping on his own feet and landing face first in the grass. The creatures tittered humorously at his reaction. Picking himself up, he glared (pouted) at them before cracking a smile and joining them.

Hiruzen felt his lips tugging into a small smile.

Maybe the fox had already taken its first step in doing so.

"Sarutobi," Hikaru started, "if you don't mind me asking, do all humans here wear the same kind of clothes you're wearing? Because they're quite different from what humans where come from tend to wear." Confused by the sudden subject change, Sarutobi blinked down at him but decided to indulge him seeing as it was a harmless question.

"Similar, but these," he pinched the fabric of his haori, "are part of my uniform."

"Oh? What do you do?" Hikaru curiously inquired.

"I'm the Hokage of this village."

"You are!?" Came the shocked yell. There stood Naruto gawping in amazement, and his entourage huddled behind him not knowing what the fuss was about.

"He didn't know?" Hikaru quirked a brow at him.

"He never asked."

When it was time for him to head back to the orphanage, Naruto was very reluctant, wanting to stay with the animals a bit longer. Or at least wanted to bring Tama along. Which he was denied, being told his new friend might scare everyone else. Of course, he griped about this. Although he was placated by Hikaru telling him that the starters could stay with him in the shack, and Naruto could come and play with them tomorrow.

Bidding farewell and promising to see them every day, he and his village leader left. The short walk was spent with Naruto talking Hiruzen's ear off, rambling about his new friends and asking about his job as Hokage. As much as the endless questions were starting to eat at his patience, he was glad that the boy was in such high spirits.

Unable to remember the last time he acted like a normal, happy child.

Once arriving at their destination, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman who seemed pleasantly surprised by their Hokage visiting them. Until she spotted the head of messy blond hair standing next to him. Naruto didn't know people could turn grey like that.

Yawning from the excitement of today, he was gently ushered towards his bedroom with some dinner by the Hokage. Dinner then straight to bed, he said. Obediently he wandered off, vaguely noting that no one else seemed to be roaming the halls. Already in their own beds, probably.

Upon reaching his room, he padded over to a small chair and desk, and sat down, the wood minutely creaking. As he brought the small bowl of miso to his mouth and took the first warm gulp, he thought back on everything that happened today. It started off like any other he'd known so far, lonely and dim, becoming bleaker with the weather, but it ended up changing entirely.

Something amazing happened. He found a cool ninja scroll that brought a talking animal to him, like magic, then he got to meet more of these creatures, and now he got to keep one of them. Two friends in one day!

The corners of his lips quirked up as he took a bite of some omurice.

Apart from the caretakers and the other kids being jerks again, Naruto thought that this was the best day of his life.

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 **Ugh, this chapter took forever to do, sorry if it seems a bit rushed. The fact that it's been so chaotic at work because of Christmas hasn't helped either. If my holiday request goes through, hopefully I'll have a week off after this one coming so I can dedicate that time to some r & r, and getting my other fanfics updated.**

 **I'll apologise in advance if this chapter may be a little boring, I just felt that it would be more realistic (or something like that) if Hikaru didn't know how to return back to his world and needed a little bit of help. Even if it was just in the form of a verbal explanation.**

 **Anyway, as always I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you find any errors, grammatical or otherwise, let me know and I'll fix it. I'll see you in the next one!**


	4. A Wild Bully Appeared!

**It's been a few months since my last update but I'm back. Thank you to everyone who has favourited, alerted and reviewed this story, it really helps lift my spirits and motivates me to get more done.**

 **guest reader – I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. I would just like to remind you that this takes place before the main series so some if not most of the kids are not going to know a lot of jutsus, if any at all. I do have plans for incorporating moves with jutsus but that will come much, much later. As for the rest of the Rookies, don't worry, I've already got things planned for them.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my OCs. Pokémon and Naruto belong to their respective creators, and I'm not making any money off of this.**

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04: A Wild Bully Appeared!

The sun was shining, birds were singing, and a gentle cool breeze drifted across the nation. A stark contrast to just three days ago.

Following the day Naruto introduced the Hokage to the Not-Kyuubi, the child kept his word and came by the shack to spend time with his new Pokémon.

Since meeting Hikaru, and Naruto had been a lot happier lately. After Hiruzen talked with the grownups at the orphanage they had been… not as mean as before but still mean. Besides he spent a lot of time playing in the forest with his new friends. He and the Starter Trio played a lot of games he's seen the other children play, like Tag, Hide and Seek and racing for fun. Hikaru would sometimes join, but would mostly just keep an eye on them.

So here he was, trekking towards the old house to spend time with Tama and the others. Arms carrying a mix of chip packets, sweets and fruits he managed to sneak from the kitchen.

With smile on his face and a spring in his step, he hummed his way through along with the crinkling of plastic.

"See? I told you there was some weird animals around here!" A boy's voice declared. Pausing, Naruto stopped to listen. It sounded close.

"What is it?" Another boy asked.

"Don't kno- hey, quit squirming!"

"BULBAAA!" Came the scream.

Feeling something heavy settling in his tummy, Naruto quickly rushed towards the source of the cry, completely forgetting the food he dropped in his haste. The commotion seemed to come from further in the woods. Halting, lightly panting, the blond took in what was happening.

Two kids slightly older than himself stood in the small clearing, a brunet holding Tama up by his forelegs and a black-haired one prodding the Pokémon with a stick. The turquoise creature wriggled persistently, vainly kicking out with his short hind legs.

Brow slipping into a frown, Naruto stepped forward,

"Leave Tama alone!" Ordered the four-year old. The other two jumped in surprise as they turned their attention to the newcomer.

"Shou, it's that cursed kid." The one holding Tama whispered loudly to his friend.

"I know, Kenji." Shou replied.

Whilst they were distracted, Tama leaned up and bit Kenji on his right-hand fingers. Yelling in pain, he relinquished his hold, letting the strange creature go to run over to the blond. "Stupid toad!" Stopping at Naruto's feet and turning to glare at his harassers. Especially Kenji for the insult.

Naruto bent down and gave Tama a comforting pat on the head, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that his Pokémon didn't look hurt.

"That thing has a name?" The brown haired lad asked, pocketing the bit of branch. Deep blue eyes met hazel ones.

"Yeah and he's mine, so leave him alone!" Naruto shot back fiercely. Well, as fiercely a four-year old is capable of. Shou's face crinkled in disdain, not liking the attitude of the cursed runt.

"What is it, some mutant pet?" Kenji inquired as he rubbed the red indents on his hand.

"He's my friend."

"Friend?" Shou repeated incredulously. Then a nasty smirk formed. "So is that it? Can't make friends with people so you hang out with freaks?" Shou taunted. Affronted, Naruto balled his fists at his sides and threw his best glare at the bigger kid. Although, that remark did sting. "I heard the grown-ups don't even let their kids anywhere near you."

"Yeah, you're just bad luck." Added Kenji. Tama watched the exchange nervously, increasingly worried about what would happen next.

"Monsters only deserve other monsters. Nobody wants a little demon brat like you." Shou sneered nastily.

Heat flushing his face, a look of hurt quickly crossing his features before being replaced with anger.

"Take that back, you jerk!"

"Why don't you make me, twerp?"

Taking the bait, Naruto charged at the older boys with a war cry. He threw a fist at Shou only for him to sidestep away. He tripped over Shou's still outstretched foot and fell with a yell. His ears caught laughter. They were laughing at him.

Getting up, he went for another swing but almost choke when something pulled the collar of his shirt against his throat. The grip slacked, only for a pair of hands on his back to roughly push him forward. Again he was pushed but this time from the front. Over and over, he was shoved to and fro by the two bullies as she tried catching his footing. With jerky sight, and dizziness setting in, he cried out, "Stop!"

They actually listened, if only to give one last shove, causing Naruto to fall on his back. Wincing, the child struggled to prop up on his elbows with a dull throbbing pounding at the back of his head and shoulders. All the while, the other duo were still snickering at him. Tears began pricking at his eyes.

Red and white eyes widened before narrowing in smouldering rage. Hopping over to his Trainer's side, Tama ground his teeth and crouched low, warning the bigger kids to back off or else in Poké-speak.

That quieted them, although they didn't understand a thing the Pokémon said. Growing somewhat nervous, Kenji suggested,

"Hey Shou, maybe we should get outta here. That thing looks kinda angry…"

"So what? We're bigger than it, and the kid can't do much either." Shou said nonchalantly, retrieving the stick from his back pocket. "You handle the toad, I'll deal with the runt." They approached.

He warned them.

Tama let out a loud, piercing cry that rippled and distorted the air.

The kids' hands flew to their ears, the shrill sound making them shiver and grit the teeth. The Bulbasaur followed up by charging at the ringleader, leaping up and colliding with the black-haired boy's stomach. Knocking him off his feet and landing on his back with an "Oof!"

"Shou! Why you little-!" Just as Kenji reared back a leg for a kick, Naruto darted forward yelling, "Don't hurt him!" and latching on to the older kid's thigh. "Get off of me!"

Tama switched his attention and went to help Naruto, only to be grabbed by a back leg. Shou had got a second wind, incensed and ready to dish out some payback. Rising to his knees while tugging the creature toward him, the brown-haired boy raised the stick aloft, "So you wanna play rough, huh? I can do that too!" and swung it down. Yelping, the sting of the hit softly burned his other hind leg. Twice, thrice, the poor Bulbasaur started losing count on the lashings, now just wanting to get away from these awful hooligans. He quailed for his Trainer's help.

Hearing Tama's screeches, Naruto glanced up. A mixed feeling of horror and outrage filled him. The small child finally let go of Kenji to aid his friend but didn't get far. Kenji had snatched him up by his arm and shirt.

"Let me go! Let me **go**!" Naruto screamed, free limbs cartwheeling in his struggling. He had to break free and help Tama. They had to run. Hide. Anything to get away. Quickly approaching footsteps rustled in the grass but it went unheard, muted by the scuffle.

Two forms rushed out of the trees towards the fight. One charging head first into Shou's side, making him let go of Tama, and another swiping at Kenji's face. He released the panicking blond to cup his now burning cheek whilst the aforementioned boy ran for Tama, scooping him up to carry him a short distance from their attackers. He would have gone further but Tama was kind of heavy and he was only little.

Placing the light blue monster on the grass, he turned to see who their help were. Charmander and Squirtle had arrived, and now stood in front of them protectively.

After recovering from the ambush, Shou and Kenji glared up at the boy, balking at the two newcomers.

"There's more of 'em?" Shou breathed incredulously.

"Shou, I really think we should go. Right now!" Kenji muttered, voice sounding more worried and feeling less confident about the situation. But his friend was stubborn and fuelled by a refusal to just give up to a bunch of circus rejects.

"No, we can take 'em! They're just a bunch of dumb animals!" Snapped the older boy whose knuckles were turning white. Naruto's pulse thumped wildly. He didn't know what to do. They had to run but it looked like the other starters wanted to stay and fight. He could just take Tama and leave, but then Squirtle and Charmander would be all alone and surely they would end up getting really hurt. Indecision rooted him to the ground, tightening his hold on his Bulbasaur, who huddled closer in reassurance. Grinding his teeth, Shou took a step forward –

"What is going on here!?" A voice boomed. Everyone froze, turning to the source.

A blond man dressed in a red kimono stood before them, arms crossed with a disapproving glare etched on his features. It was Hikaru. Well, his illusion at least.

"Well?" The guise demanded expectantly. Thinking this grown up would help them, the older duo scrambled over and told their side of the story.

"This brat started picking on us and when we told him to leave us alone he set those freaky monsters to attack us! See? They even bit and scratched us!" Shou whined, pointing an accusing finger at the little boy and highlighting their various injuries. Kenji nodding and agreeing vigorously.

"Liar!" Naruto cried, picking himself up. "You were the ones picking on Tama and I told you to stop!" His opposition was echoed by the starter trio. Before things could devolve into a yelling match, Hikaru cut them off.

"Enough." A hint of a rumble in his throat. "I doubt that a child younger than yourselves is capable of picking on either of you. Furthermore, those animals wouldn't have attacked you unless they had a reason to."

"How would you know? You weren't here!" Kenji shot back.

"I would know because I brought them with me, and I gave one of them to Naruto so he could have someone to play with." He explained smoothly. Quirking an eyebrow, he asked a question, "What are you two doing here anyway? I thought that nobody else came to this area."

"I saw that thing," Shou pointed at Tama, "yesterday when I was walking and wanted to show my friend."

"Ah, so you were just curious. Well, you've sated your curiosity, now I think it'd be best if you leave."

"You can't tell us what to do!"

Hikaru gave them an amicable smile.

"Oh but I can, because I'm an adult and you two are children. Plus, I'm sure your parents can too, especially when I tell them about how you both beat up a little boy who's younger than you. I wonder what they would think." Hikaru said with an almost thoughtful hum. The duo paled at the threat. Sharing a worried glance, they came to the same decision.

"Tch. C'mon Kenji, let's get out of here." Both quickly fled and never looked back. Naruto let out a breath of relief, as did the Pokémon, thankful that the large fox appeared when he did. Now that the danger was gone, he suddenly felt heavy all over. Facing the guise, he opened his mouth to give his thanks only to pause at the stormy frown.

"What?"

"You shouldn't have attacked them." The illusion disappeared and was replaced by the real Hikaru, who trotted over to the small group from within the trees.

"They started it!" Naruto started, crossing his arms with a pout. The Ninetales inspected each little, noticing scrapes, dirt and grass stains, and the odd small cut here and there. No big injuries it seemed. That was good, he'll have to get Sarutobi to tend to Naruto while he could deal with the starters. Nothing a few berries couldn't fix. But back to the matter at hand.

"And I finished it. What were you thinking? If that had been an adult things could have been much worse." Scolded the animal.

"But I had to do something, Hikaru! They were picking on Tama!" the boy responded, still upset about the ordeal. Exhaling an exasperated sigh, the larger Pokémon sat down with a piercing gaze.

"Why don't you tell me exactly what happened."

For the next couple of minutes, Naruto animatedly told the story from his side, not skipping any details. Through the retelling, Hikaru's eyes would narrow and occasionally a quiet growl vibrated from his throat at the more violent parts.

" _Not the best impression we want to be making right now."_ Hikaru bemoaned mentally. This was going to make convincing the Hokage a tiny bit more difficult. _"I suppose I'm partly to blame, I should have at least done a patrol for other humans."_

"There's nothing we can do right now, we'll just have to be more careful and hide whenever a human that isn't you or Sarutobi is nearby. Understand?" The question was directed at the smaller monsters who nodded compliantly.

"Naruto, next time if someone is picking on you or your Pokémon, just run away or call for help, okay?"

A look of uncertainty crossed Naruto's face. It's not like he hasn't tried that before. But did anyone help him whenever he got picked on? No.

But… someone did help this time. Not a person but still.

"Okay." He finally replied.

"Good. Now come along, let's get you all patched up." He said, and the group started trekking back toward the old house. Hikaru had two things taking priority in his mind; 1 – make plans for securing the area, and 2 – dealing with the old man when and if he hears about this incident.

* * *

 **Cor, this one was a bogger to write. I think it was the whole exchange between the children. Quick question, did I make the two kids too mean, or was it appropriate considering the circumstances? Not sure if I'll bring them back later as minor characters. We'll see how things go.**

 **Naruto Uzumaki, current team:**

 **Tama (Bulbasaur), Lvl 5, Bold nature. Moves – Tackle, Growl**

 **Unclaimed: Charmander, Lvl 5. Moves – Scratch, Growl**

 **Squirtle, Lvl 5. Moves – Tackle, Tail Whip**


	5. Damage Control

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Damage Control

Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his time as Hokage, knew that he would have to deal with many stresses that came with the job. Paperwork, clan disputes, trade negotiations, paperwork, political agreements with the other Kage, paperwork, dealing with Danzou. The list goes on and on.

Added to that list were Naruto's new "friends".

Despite the fox's insistence that his kind were benevolent, he couldn't help but be doubtful. They were not everyday animals, not even the usual type of summon. Hikaru outright said they were some kind of monster. As admittedly cute as the smaller ones were, if they displayed similar powers to Hikaru, then having them roam free could pose a potential problem.

Still, Naruto seemed so happy since they arrived. Knowing the orphan had no friends due to his circumstance, the old man supposed those creatures might be good for him. Plus, he hadn't heard of any villagers discovering them. Nor have the group been in any sort of trouble. So that calmed his nerves somewhat.

But of course, all good things must come to an end.

Hushed whispers of civilians were relayed back to him via ANBU.

" _Did you hear what happened to the Honda and Takegawa boys?"_

" _They were attacked, weren't they?"_

" _Unprovoked?"_

" _Apparently so."_

" _It was that fox brat. Honda-san's son said he told some strange creature to attack him and his friend!"_

" _Not just one, there were three of 'em!"_

" _Mutant animals, they claimed."_

" _Great, now we have more dangers to worry about."_

" _Why won't the Hokage just get rid of it? Does he not realise how much he's risking the village by keeping it here?"_

Which is why he was here, in the old shack, with the party involved.

Naruto and the smaller Pokémon all sat on the dusty floor, innocently avoiding eye contact. Hikaru, on the other hand, sat beside them tall and confidently calm. Unblinking.

"I'm sure you can guess why I'm here."

"Social visit?" Asked Hikaru telepathically. Hiruzen's serious expression didn't even twitch. "You've heard about Naruto's little… run-in." It was stated rather than asked.

"Yes, and that concerns me, considering that you claimed you creatures are supposedly harmless to humans."

"We are when we're not provoked." Coolly came the reply.

"And you were in this instance?"

"Not me, them." He simply responded with a gesture to the little ones.

Of course they were. With an internal sigh, Hiruzen asked,

"Naruto, can you please tell me what happened today?" Naruto glanced up with an anxious look. Unsure whether he should say anything. "Go on, you're not in trouble." Sarutobi gently insisted. After a quick fidget, he shared his side.

"I, I wanted to play with Tama and I brought a bunch of snacks for us to eat and–" Naruto froze with horrified realisation, "Oh no, the food!"

"We'll go get them later, finish what you were saying first." Said Hikaru.

"Okay. So I was walking and I heard people talking, and then I heard Tama yelling. I ran and saw those butt-heads picking on him."

"How were they picking on him?" Inquired the old man.

"One was holding his arms up like this," Naruto raised both arms above his head, "and the other boy was poking him with a stick." He pointed to his belly. "Tama didn't like it so I told them to leave him alone, and Tama bited one of them to make them let go, and then they said mean things to us. They called Tama a freak and a moo-tent– but he's not– and they said I was a brat and bad luck and a monster, and said nobuddy wanted me because I am." The lad babbled quickly, sounding more distressed. "But I'm not! I'm not a monster! I said to take it back and they wouldn't, so I, I…" he trailed off as the uneasiness returned.

"I tried to hit them. The one with brown hair tripped me and was laughing at me, I got up and wanted to hit them again but they started pushing me, and knocked me down. Tama got mad and yelled really loud at them. I think it hurt because they put their hands on their ears. Then Tama knocked one of 'em down, and the boy's friend was gonna kick Tama but I didn't let him, and the other boy was started hitting Tama with a stick like this," Naruto made fist with an imaginary twig and harshly swung up and down, "so I wanted to help but the boy's friend picked me up and didn't put me down."

"Then Charmander and Squirtle came and made them let us go, and then Hikaru found us and told off the boys and they went away." The little blond was panting a little from his retelling. At some point Tama sidled up and leaned against Naruto, sensing he was upset.

Sarutobi soaked in the tale of events. Marvelling how children could talk so much with nary a pause for breath.

"As you can see, the retaliation was completely in self-defence." Hikaru defended.

"Yet Naruto tried to hit them first."

"After being provoked. Those boys," 'boys' was said more harshly, "instigated the whole thing."

"I won't deny that. I'm merely saying that trying to fight those kids wasn't the best course of action for him." The Hokage countered evenly. Before the fox could say anything else, a soft voice butted in.

"Am I bad?" Worriedly asked the child. Big blue eyes darting between the Hokage and the Ninetales as he kept a hand on his Bulbasaur's head. Sarutobi knelt so he was at the child's level.

"No, you're not bad. You did the right thing standing up for your friends." Hiruzen reassured. The worry Naruto had eased somewhat. "But this can't happen again. What happened today has made a lot of people in the village upset,"

"Why?" Interrupted the four year old.

"Because your animals hurt people and the villagers are starting to get a little scared of them." He was trying to explain this situation to the four-year old as simply as possible. Naruto blinked, glanced over at the small trio then back to the Hokage.

"Tama, Charmander and Squirtle aren't scary." Naruto objected with some confusion. "They're cool!"

"You might think they are but that's not what everyone else thinks. They think these things are dangerous."

"But they're–!"

"I know, Naruto. But the people haven't been around these," pausing to glance at the reptilian trio, "Pokémon long enough to know that they're actually nice, like you have. And because you all got into a fight with those two boys, and they ended up getting hurt, everyone's just nervous." While Hiruzen tried calming the upset child, he had his own opinions on the matter. On one hand the creatures hadn't harmed Naruto once, accidentally or otherwise, but on the other hand they attacked unarmed civilian children.

Considering the circumstance, he had to try and make a fair resolution for both parties.

"I think it be best if you said goodbye to your friends for a little while." He finally said. Naruto stilled.

'Goodbye'? Wha- What did the old man mean he had to say 'goodbye'? Was he not allowed to play with them no more? But he wasn't bad. Old Man said so. So why was he being told his friends had to go away?

"Isn't that a tad drastic? Surely you're not going to make his friends go away?"

"There's no other alternative I can think of. This is the fairest option and it would only be temporary until the gossip passes."

"But is it really fair for them to leave when they only protected each other? You're the leader of this place, correct? Surely you can just tell your people to leave the poor boy and us alone?" Hikaru argued.

"It's because I'm the leader that I can't do that." Hiruzen shot back evenly as he stood to lock the creature's eyes. "As Hokage, I have to treat everyone equally. If I start showing favouritism it could cause unrest amongst not only the party involved but the rest of the populace. Not to mention running the risk of being seen as unfit to be Hokage, and in this particular case I'd be suspected of being influenced."

"By whom?" Hikaru demanded. Sarutobi did not answer for two reasons – that was classified information he still was not ready to divulge to the Ninetales, and Naruto was in the same room.

Said child's eyes, and the starters', darted between the duo glaring at each other. They could sense the shift in atmosphere and it made them squirm from nerves.

Hikaru harrumphed, breaking eye contact as he laid down to groom his tails. After a couple of tense minutes, "You know, I may have a solution."

"How?"

The fox stood, shook itself off, and trotted over into the next room and swiftly returned with the red scroll case, placing it on the ground.

"You said that it's possible for people here to summon things to them, correct?" Asked the beast as it scratched its ear with a hind leg.

"Yes…"

"So I can safely assume that a summoner can also banish the summoned thing to where it came from too?" The old man nodded affirmatively,

"What are you getting at?" What exactly was the mini-bijuu thinking?

"How about you teach Naruto how to summon and banish things? That way if his Pokémon are ever in danger and I'm not around, they can be sent back to a safer place, and once the threat has passed he can bring them back any time he wants." The Ninetales's reasoning echoing in everyone's heads. "I might be able to add a little extra protection as well."

Hiruzen did not know how to respond. That was his suggestion; teach Naruto how to summon?

"I'm afraid that would be difficult." Hiruzen responded.

"Because…?" Asked Hikaru tilting his head.

"Being able to summon living beings is an advanced technique, it requires extensive practice and concentration. As well as knowing how much chakra to use for summoning different beings or items."

"But this could prove beneficial to Naruto too." Hiruzen shot him a look that said 'How?' "If he's ever in trouble and needs help, he can summon one of us. It works for both parties, you see." Hikaru persuaded convincingly. Just as Sarutobi opened his mouth to object,

"You'd rather be safe than sorry, right?" Yawned the fox. The Hokage gazed blankly as he became pensive. He finally responded after several moments,

"Let me see the scroll." He sighed.

The vulpine creature moved to allow the elderly ninja access to the item, and settled a few steps away. Watching this process might give up-close insight to this world's culture. The human seemed to be looking for something. Unrolling the scroll revealed a large empty box after the missive, at least two feet across, followed by paragraphs of information sectioned off by each new topic's title.

Hiruzen's lips thinned into a line, puzzled at the lack of signing boxes. If he was really going to allow Naruto to add his name to a summoning contract (best decision of the year), then how would it be possible if there was nowhere to sign? And this was a lot of scroll to get through. He didn't have all day to go through it.

Ready to call it quits for today, Hiruzen began rolling the paper back up when he caught something his eye. There was something on the curled over edge of the paper (how did he miss that?). Flipping the entire case and scroll over revealed that there were indeed signing boxes, but only two. One with a name already written, and the other blank. Dark eyes scanned the name, making a note of it for later.

Hiruzen beckoned for Naruto to approach. Which he did, equally confused and curious. Confusion only added when the Hokage asked to see his hand. Offering up his right, Hiruzen gently took a hold of his wrist as he drew a kunai from his robe.

Before he could get a word out he heard a growl parallel from him. Towheaded hairs rising on the Ninetales' hackles, muzzle slightly warping in restrained hostility.

"It'll only be a small cut. I did tell you before that blood is usually required for summoning." Said the old man. That was true. The fox ceased its threatening, instead opting for watching every move like a hawk. After giving Naruto fair warning, and repeatedly reassuring him that he was going to be completely fine, he made a shallow incision on the boy's index finger. Not enough to bleed profusely but enough for what needed to be done. Naruto yelped at the cut, instinctively made to pull his limb back, but Jii-san's grip stayed firm.

Tama, Charmander and Squirtle huddled closer in response to the cry and expressed concern at the welling bead of blood. When they asked the Ninetales what was going on, they were merely told to stay calm and watch. Begrudgingly, they did.

After coaxing the boy closer to the scroll, Lord Third gently guided Naruto's finger across the paper, red streaks staining ivory as he helped the child carefully write his name. ' _Uzumaki Naruto'_ now filled the box. Four more nicks and a set of tiny fingerprints would complete the signing.

As his palm pressed on the parchment, there was a feeling he couldn't quite describe other than – weird. Like something was being pulled from _under_ his skin.

Then there was another weird feeling on his hand. Tingly. Like a bug crawling on his skin. Turning his hands over, Naruto had a look of surprise before bolting up.

"Old Man, look! Look! There's a pi'chur on my hand!" Declared the child as he waved his right hand up at the elder.

Indeed, on the tyke's palm was a smaller version of the symbol from the scroll.

" _A summoning tattoo."_ The Hokage concluded. The contract signing was successful. The smaller Pokémon crowded Naruto, wanting to check if he's okay and inspect the new mark.

"Will Naruto be able to summon us now?" Asked the golden beast.

"Not yet. He may have the means but not the experience to do so."

"Well," Hikaru began in an upbeat tone. "we'd better get on with practice then. The quicker he learns, the better. Right, Sarutobi?"

Looking between everyone present, the Hokage debated whether or not he should refuse for now and go back to his office where paperwork was waiting for him. Only stacking the longer he was away. Or stay here and teach Naruto – who, just a reminder, has not been taught any, _**any**_ , of the basics– the Summoning jutsu and everything required to correctly perform it.

Either way, this was going to be a long day.

With a tired sigh, and the beginning of a migraine, he resigned himself to his fate.


End file.
